Ski case



July 22, 1941.

O. C. MICKELBERG SKI CASE Filed March 7, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 bwwg July 22, 1941.

0. c. MICKELBERG,

SKI cAsE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 7, 1940 I 011 1110 fllficlelkerg Patented July 22, 1941 UNITED V STATES PATENT I OFFICE SKI CASE Orville C. Mickelberg, La Crosse, Wis.

Application March 7, 1940, Serial No. 322,818

9 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved construction of case for containing a pair of skis for transportation or storage.

It is an aim of this invention to provide a case having compartments for the ready insertion and removal of a pair of skis and having means for connecting said compartments, intermediate of their ends, for spacing the compartments intermediate of their ends, and for drawing the forward ends of said compartments outwardly relatively to each other, to thereby maintain a pair of skis, contained within, in their proper shape and to prevent warping.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide improved means for detachably connecting the compartments of the case, after a pair of skis have been disposed therein, so that the bottoms of the compartments will be positioned in opposed relationship with the portions adjacent the ends thereof in abutting relationship.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide an improved construction of handle for carrying the case having means for detachably connecting the handle to the skis so that the weight of the skis will be directly supported by the handle and the case in turn will be supported by the skis.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide a protector for the rear or heel ends of the ski case compartments adapted to be disposed over said ends when a pair of skis are contained within to protect said ends and the heels of the skis when stored in an upright position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein- Figure l is a top plan view showing the case in an open position and empty,

Figure 2 is a side elevational View showing the case empty and in a closed position,

Fi ure 3 is a bottom plan view showing the case in an open or extended position,

Figure 4 is a top plan view showing the case in a closed position and containing a pair of skis as it would appear when in a condition for carrying the skis or for storage thereof,

Figure 5 is a longitudinal horizontal central sectional view of the case as shown in Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly broken away, of the same, and A Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 1-1 of Figure 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, l0 designates generally the ski case which may be formed of any suitable, flexible material and which includes two corresponding compartments I l and 12 disposed in side by side relationship and connected at their intermediate portions to one another by means of a webportion I3.

The compartments H and I2 are provided in their upper sides with openings extending from their forward ends to points adjacent their rear ends. These openings are adapted to be closed by means of suitable fastenings, such as the corresponding slide fasteners i l. As best seen in Figures 4 and 5, the intermediate portions of the upper sides of the compartments H and I2 are enlarged,'as seen at l5, tapering toward the ends of the compartments and are for a purpose which will hereinafter be explained. The bottom or underside of the compartment H is provided with a pocket l6, disposed intermediate the ends of said compartment, in which is contained a block ll, for a purpose which will hereinafter be described.

As best seen in Figure 1, compartments H and i2 are provided with laterally projecting outwardly disposed tabs l8 adjacent their forward ends which are provided with spaced apertures, as seen in Figure 3. A strip of flexible material [9 is disposed laterally of the compartment II with its ends disposed'over the tabs l8 thereof. Strip I9 is fixed at one end to one of the tabs Ill of the compartment I l and is provided with a pair of turn buttons 29 at each end thereof which project through the apertures in said tabs l8. A strip of flexible material 21 is similarly disposed relatively to the compartment l2 and is provided at its ends with pairs of spaced eyelets 22 which aline with the eyelets in the tabs is of compartment l2. Strip 2| is likewise attached at one end to one of the tabs I8 and is loosely disposed relatively to the other tab. I At the rear or heel end of the case H), a flexible strip 23 is secured by means of fastenings 24 to the upper side of the compartment II with its free end extending therebeyond. Strip 23 is provided with a pair of spaced turn buttons 25 on its upper side and adjacent its free end and with a pair of spaced eyelets 26 disposed between turn buttons 25 and the free end of the strap 23. Similarly spaced turn buttons 27 are mounted on the upper side of the compartment I2 adjacent its rear end. A flexible strap 28 is disposed transversely of the strip 23, adjacent its secured end, and is connected thereto, intermediate of its ends, by means of fastenings 29. Strap 28 is provided, adjacent its ends, with eyelets 30. Eyelets as well as the eyelets 26 and 22 are oblong in shape, as illustrated in the different views.

As best seen in Figures 4 and 5, a strap 32 is secured to the upper side of the forward end of each of the compartments II and I2 and is provided with a buckle 33 intermediate of its ends to which the free end of the strap 32 is adapted to be adjustably connected to form an adjustable loop 34. The strips I9 and 2| are provided with the spaced slits, intermediate of their ends, forming loops through which the free ends of the straps 32 are passed to connect loops 34 and 35, for a purpose which will hereinafter be explained.

A handle 36 is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed laterally projecting strap .loops 31, at each end thereof, having buckles 38, as best seen in Figure '7, for detaching and adjusting the loops 31. Loops 3! on corresponding Sides of the handle 36 extend through slots 3'! into compartments II and I2, as best seen in Figure 7. The top and bottom portions 39 and 40, respectively, of the compartments H and I2 are connected by means of suitable binding strips 4|.

Each of the compartments H and I2 is shaped and sized to receive a ski 42, of conventional construction, as illustrated in Figure 5, which is inserted therein by positioning case It) in an extended position, as illustrated in Figure 1, after which the strips l9 and 2| are folded back and the slide fasteners l4 are then opened so that the heel end of a ski 42 may be inserted into the rear end of each of the compartments H and I2, after which the intermediate portions and upturned toe ends of the skis are inserted into the inter.- mediate portions and forward ends of the compartments II and I2. The skies 42 are either passed through the loops 31, which can'then-be adjusted, or said loops are formed around the skis by attaching the strap ends to buckles 38.-

Slide fasteners 14 are then returned to afclosed position with the portions 15 forming additional spaces in the compartments H and I2 toaocommodate the ski binders 43. and I2 are then folded on the web portion 13 to position their under or bottom sides in adjacent relationship, as best seen in Figures 4 and 5. Strip 23 is then looped around the rear ends of the compartments H and I2 and the turn buttons 21 passed through the eyelets 26 and turned, a half a turn to secure the connection, after which the ends of the strap 28 are looped transversely around the compartments H and i2, ad-

jacent their rear ends and the eyelets 30 sim-.

ilarly connected to the turn buttons 25, to thereby retain the rear ends of the compartments H.

and I2 compressed relatively-to each other with the skis 42 in compact relationship therein. Turn buttons 20 are then passed through eyelets 22 and similarly connected to clamp thevskis 42 together between their intermediate portions and 33 to maintain the shape ofthe upturned toeends' of the skis .42. It Will be obvious that the ski Compartments I t Loops 34 of the straps 32 are case [0, containing the skis 42 can be carried by means of the handle 38 and the weight of the case and skies will be supported entirely by the skis through the connection of the loops 31 therewith. Skis are ordinarily stored in an upright position, resting on their heel ends, and when thus stored the strip 23, which is relatively thick, as seen in Figure 4, will provide a protector for the rear ends of the compartments H and I2 and for the heels of the skis.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to as only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A case. of the class described comprising connected compartments for containing a pair of skis, said compartments having longitudinal openings, adjacent their forward ends. provided with closure fasteners, for the insertion and removal of the skis, fastening means for securing the bottoms of said compartments in abutting relationship adjacent their ends, and a handle loosely attached to the case and adapted to be detachably connected to a pair of skis disposed therein.

2. A case for skis comprising a case formed of flexible material and including a pair of compartments each shaped and sized to receive a ski, a web portion integral with the intermediate portions of said compartments, means for securing said compartments in abutting relationship adjacent their ends, and adjustable means connected with the forward ends of said compartments for retaining the toe portions of a pair of skis disposed therein in outwardly bowed relationship relatively to each other.

3. A carrying and storage case for skis comprising a case formed of flexible material pro-.

- of the skis, means for securing said compartments together with their bottoms in abutting relationship adjacent their ends, and a' protecting member carried byone of said compartments and detachably connected to the other compartment for engaging around the rear ends of said compartments to protect the case and the skis when stored in an upright position.

. 4. A deviceas in claim 3, comprising a spacing member mounted in the bottom of one of said compartments and disposed between said compartments for spacing their intermediate portions. l

5. A device as in claim 3, comprising. a .web

portion formed integral with the intermediate portions of said compartments, and a handledisposed contiguously with said web portion and detachably connected to the intermediate portions of a pair of skis, disposed within the casing, for supporting the skis and easing.

6. A device as in claim 3, comprising adjustable strap connectors connected to the forward ends,

of said compartments for drawing the toes of a pair of skis contained therein outwardlyof each other.

7. A casing for storage and transportation of a pair of skis comprising a casing formed of flexible material and provided with longitudinal compartments shaped andsized tore ceive-apair of skis, said compartments having openingsexs tending from the forward ends thereof to adjacent their rear ends for inserting and removing the skis, said openings being provided with closure fastenings, a web portion formed integral with the intermediate portions of said compartments, fastening means adjacent the ends of said compartments, including separable turn button fastenings, for securing the bottoms of said compartments in abutting relationship adjacent their ends, and adjustable means for retaining the toe portions of a pair of skis, disposed in the case, in outwardly turned relationship relatively to each other.

8. A case as in claim 7, comprising a handle having portions extending into the compartments and detachably connected to the intermediate portions of the skis for carrying the ski case.

9. In a carrying and storage case for skis, a

case formed of flexible material and including a pair of compartments connected in side by side relationship intermediate of their ends, said compartments having openings in their upper sides extending from their forward ends to adjacent their rear ends, provided with closure fasteners, for the insertion and removal of a pair of skis, means for detachably connecting said compartments adjacent their ends to dispose the bottom portions of said compartments in abutting relationship, a spacing element carried by one of said compartments for spacing the adjacent portions of the compartments, and means for drawing the forward ends of the compartments outwardly to maintain the shape of the toe portions of the skis, contained therein.

ORVILLE C. MICKELBERG. 

